


we're always on the upswing, baby

by batankyu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Universe, First Kiss, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-High School, Presents, Romance, Slice of Life, Timeskip Spoilers, alternatively: rio olympics kageyama and brazil hinata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29409225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batankyu/pseuds/batankyu
Summary: “Hey!” Shouyou shouts again, runs right up to the edge and leans himself so far over the barrier that someone tugs the back of his shirt behind him. “Kageyama!Kageyama!”And then—there—Kageyama Tobio turns and looks directly at him so Shouyou can finally see his eyes properly. Blue-blue-blue. Kageyama’s grinning. Kageyama’s glowing. The stadium lights scrape over the line of his jaw and the slope of his shoulders. (Kageyama’s beautiful).Shouyou’s burning. Shouyou’s floating. Shouyou is stupidly, unfairly in love.Shouyou has loved Kageyama since he was sixteen years old. He's twenty, now. Kageyama lives on the other side of the world. Shouyou hasn't done anything about it.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 6
Kudos: 115
Collections: Haikyuu!! Valentine Exchange





	we're always on the upswing, baby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EmberCelica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberCelica/gifts).



> hi awake!!! happy way belated valentine's day! i kinda took your presents prompt and the slice of life trope and just fuckin sprinted with them so uh, i hope you don't mind heh :') title is from april to death by flower face. the song in its entirety has nothing to do with the fic, i just adore this lyric.
> 
> enjoy!

So, it starts like this:

Early April, late afternoon. Second year. Shouyou leaning out of breath against the outside wall of the gym. Kageyama beside him, panting as well. The cherry blossoms in full bloom, the sky cloudless. Everything blue-pink-gray.

Shouyou turns, and he’s supposed to tell Kageyama he’s just won the race (because he _did_ , but it was close—Bakageyama might not admit it), yet the words don’t come. Instead there’s a _feeling_ : nebulous but undeniable. The sun slants over the corner of the gym and Kageyama softens around the edges. He’s blue-blue-blue against the vivid spring sky. He turns. He smirks.

“I won that one.”

But Shouyou can’t answer. There’s something wrong. He looks at Kageyama and he thinks, _huh_.

Then, _oh no_.

“Forty-one to forty. You’re buying meat buns later.”

Shouyou scrunches up his face. “No way,” he says. He is not talking about the meat buns but Kageyama can’t know this. He continues, “One hundred percent not happening.”

He means it.

* * *

And see, if life were anything like the shoujo manga series he has Yachi tell him about (because nobody can balance life and volleyball and One Piece _and_ other manga), then it would have ended that same year, or graduation at the latest. Second buttons. You know. Now-or-never confessions. All that.

Except his life has never really worked out like a manga—shoujo or otherwise—so now he’s twenty years old in Brazil and he’s in love with a man who’s almost thirty-thousand kilometers away.

“How do you do it?” Shouyou asks. He’s got the apartment to himself today, so his phone’s on speaker on the desk beside him while he lays on his back, tosses a volleyball to the ceiling. “You and Asahi-san.”

“I have no idea!” Nishinoya’s voice booms over waves and wind. Shouyou can imagine him sitting at the edge of a fishing boat. Blue sky, blue sea. Blue-blue-blue. “I mean, it’s actually not that different from just keeping in touch with friends, Shouyou. Just like, keep messaging and stuff!”

Shouyou frowns, sits up, switches from tossing to spinning the volleyball atop his finger. “Okay, better question,” he says. “How _did_ you do it? How’d you two start it, or… whatever.”

“I asked,” laughs Nishinoya, like the solution is obvious. “End of my second year, ‘cause that’s when I realized properly. Also, he was graduating. Thought I might as well.”

“Yeah, but—” Shouyou huffs out a sigh and lets the ball tumble off his hand. “How’d you know he liked you back?”

“I didn’t.” Shouyou can hear the grin in Nishinoya’s voice.

“But—but then—” he sputters. “How’d you know it’d work out?”

“I didn’t!” Nishinoya says once more. He’s laughing again. “You just gotta try it, Shouyou. You just gotta go for it.”

“But what if he doesn’t—I can’t just—”

“ _Shouyou_ ,” Nishinoya interrupts. The wind on his end dies down for a moment, and his voice is crystal-sharp over the line. “How else are you gonna know?”

* * *

Shouyou doesn’t know the answer to that. He doesn’t try to find out. Instead, he pulls his mind from the matter entirely by unpacking more of the neglected moving boxes at the corner of his bedroom. He keeps up with his daily message conversations with Kageyama. He doesn’t say a thing about—well. Anyway.

Now, in his lap, there’s an old volleyball he’s had since his Karasuno days. It’s a present from Kageyama, actually—for Shouyou’s birthday back in second year. Kageyama had said he didn’t need to get so excited because it was _just a goddamn volleyball, Hinata_ , and Shouyou had told him he liked it so much because the colors were cool. He’d meant it.

It’s red-white-black like the Niiyama uniforms Natsu’s been obsessed with recently. Back when Shouyou had first taken it home, Natsu had said Kageyama must like him because she was ten and she always gave presents to the people she had crushes on.

 _It’s not like that at all,_ Shouyou had said. _We’re not kids, Nacchan. That’s not how it works. It doesn’t mean anything._

 _How do you know?_ she’d asked him stubbornly. _I bet he likes you. I bet he does. Just you wait and see._

It’s not how it works. He told Natsu again that December, when he gave Kageyama a matching volleyball for his birthday. _Hm. We match now,_ Kageyama had said. Red-white-black. It didn’t mean anything.

Red-white-black, like Japan’s Olympic volleyball team. Red-white-black, like the colors Kageyama will be wearing in nine days when he plays in the Rio Olympics. Red-white-black. Kageyama’s coming to Rio.

“Uwahhh, you’re so lucky you’re in Brazil to see him, Shou-nii,” Natsu says over their scheduled weekly phone call. “I wanna see Kageyama-nii!”

Shouyou pouts. “I can’t believe you wanna see Kageyama and not _me_.”

Natsu ignores him. “Does this mean you’re finally gonna tell him you like him, nii-chan?” Fourteen now, and her philosophy remains the same. It’s like he’s still in high school.

“Not your concern, Nacchan.”

“Is too my concern! I need to know whether I can brag to my volleyball team about having Olympic athlete Kageyama Tobio as a brother-in-law.”

Shouyou chokes. “ _Nacchan!_ We’re not even dating!”

“Well, you should be!” Natsu scoffs. “I can’t believe I’m related to someone so _slow_.”

“Natsuuu! Mean!”

“Please?” presses Natsu. “Please, please, _please_ at least consider telling him?”

“Are you doing this out of concern for me or because you wanna be related to Yamayama?”

Natsu hums, noncommittal. “Come _on_ , Shouyou,” she says. Shouyou can almost see her: crossed arms, determined pout. “Come on. Consider it.” She pauses, then— “You have to tell him at some point.”

“At some point, maybe,” Shouyou concedes, and Natsu sighs on the other end of the line. “But no promises.”

Natsu ends the call.

* * *

“Kageyama!”

Shouyou’s standing in his seat at the forefront of the cheering stands. The crowd booms. The stadium lights dazzle. Kageyama stands: red-white-black against the teal-orange-white court. Victory point. Setter dump. His teammates clap him on the back. His hair is slick against his forehead. He’s looking up and he’s smiling. Shouyou doubts anyone else can tell.

“Hey!” he shouts again, runs right up to the edge and leans himself so far over the barrier that someone tugs the back of his shirt behind him. “Kageyama! _Kageyama!”_

And then— _t_ _here_ —Kageyama Tobio turns and looks directly at him so Shouyou can finally see his eyes properly. Blue-blue-blue. Kageyama’s grinning. Kageyama’s glowing. The lights scrape over the line of his jaw and the slope of his shoulders. (Kageyama’s beautiful).

Shouyou’s burning. Shouyou’s floating. Shouyou's stupidly, unfairly in love.

“Let’s play!” he shouts. The other spectators in the stands are staring. Shouyou doesn’t even know if Kageyama can hear him well enough. “Let’s play, you and me! Again!”

Kageyama nods. It’s almost imperceptible. Maybe it is, to everyone else. Shouyou doesn’t even know if Kageyama actually heard him, but he does know Kageyama understands. Because he’s Kageyama Tobio. Because he always does.

* * *

Shouyou takes Kageyama to an indoor gym because he’s kind like that and he knows Kageyama isn’t used to the beach. And because Shouyou doesn’t think he’d be able to handle a Kageyama Tobio dressed for the beach. Not now. Not yet.

Their synergy returns within the first five tosses. They’re sixteen and they’re cramming in extra practice after training camp. They’re seventeen and they’re passing in a courtyard just outside Karasuno. They’re eighteen and they’re in the gym before school starts because Kageyama is vice captain and has a key and _sorry, Yamaguchi, really!_ but they’re going to win nationals this year if it kills them.

Freak duo. Nine and ten. Two and five. Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou.

“I missed tossing to you,” Kageyama says.

“Yeah.” Shouyou grins. He could tease Kageyama for being sentimental. He doesn’t. “I missed hitting your tosses.”

Kageyama nods. The ball’s in his hands. “And I—missed you. In general.”

Shouyou can’t read Kageyama’s tone—he never can when Kageyama’s at his low-inflection default; when he says everything like it simply _is_. Like there’s no need to add expression because the words speak for themselves. 

“Yeah,” Shouyou says again, quiet this time, breathless. “Yeah. Me too.”

“Did you know…” begins Kageyama. Shouyou can’t tell if he’s being cautious or light or thoughtful. Kageyama spins the ball between his palms like he’s about to land a service ace.

“Did you know I’ve been in love with you since graduation?”

Shouyou’s heart crashes against his ribs. “What?”

“I don’t think you feel the same way,” Kageyama continues. “Which is fine. I just thought—”

“Kageyama-kun, you’re so—” Shouyou cuts in. His voice is so soft. It’s quieter than he thinks he’s ever been in his life. “ _Lame_ , Kageyama-kun.” Here, Shouyou dares to smirk. “I liked you all the way back in second year.”

Kageyama blinks. Once, twice. Then he laughs, and Shouyou has to stand in shock because _Kageyama Tobio is laughing_. He doesn’t think he’s heard the sound before. He wants to hear it again.

“What, a whole year before me?” Now, Kageyama’s smirking. The gym lights are too dim, and they wash over his features. The space is gray-orange-white and the least romantic place this could possibly be happening. Shouyou can’t find it in himself to care. He’s still soaring. “You should’ve said it first, then. ‘Cause that’s another win for me.”

“What!” Shouyou yelps. “It is not! How does that work if I liked you _first_?”

Kageyama rolls his eyes. “Because I _told_ you first, moron. Also, I told you the soonest after I found out.”

“You waited two years!”

“You waited three!” Kageyama retorts. “Actually, does it even count as waiting? Were you even going to say anything?”

Shouyou bites his lip. “Of course I was!”

“You’re a liar.”

“You’re a jerk!”

Kageyama tosses the ball aside and steps toward him. He’s smirking again. “But you like me.”

Shouyou moves until his face swoops in close beneath Kageyama’s. It’s bullshit that Kageyama is still so much taller.

“ _You_ said you’re in love with me,” Shouyou says. “You’re worse.”

“Doesn’t that make me better? I think I win that one, too.”

“Debatable.” Shouyou grins. He pinches the cloth at the front of Kageyama’s shirt. “But you’re definitely not winning _this_.”

Shouyou tugs down and lets himself laugh at the surprise in Kageyama’s blue-blue-blue eyes. He pulls his face right down to his. Presses their lips together.

* * *

“Does this mean I can call you Tobio now?”

Kageyama chokes. Shouyou claps him on the back. They’re on a park bench eating cheese bread and the sun is setting before them. The air teeters between warm and cool. They have five pieces of bread left. Kageyama’s wearing sunglasses and a hat (both Shouyou’s, both borrowed) because he’s been recognized twice and he doesn’t want it to happen again. The sky is blue-purple-orange. Shouyou has kissed Kageyama Tobio.

“What,” is all Kageyama responds with.

“To-bi-o,” Shouyou tries. “Tobio. Tobiooo. Tobio-kun? Tobio-ch—”

“Don’t you _dare_ —”

“—an.” Shouyou winks. “Tobio-chaaan?”

Kageyama punches him in the arm. He’s blushing, Shouyou notices with delight. Cheeks and ears blooming red.

“At least don’t say it like that,” Kageyama grumbles. “You sound like Oikawa-san.”

Shouyou giggles. “Oh, so I _can_ say—”

“Nope. Nope, that was _not_ what I meant—”

“Okay, okay, okay. Tobio, then? Tobio…” Shouyou pauses. “...chan.”

Kageyama grabs at his hair. Shouyou laughs and slaps his wrist away.

“I _am_ going to get back at you for this,” Kageyama says. “I hope you know that.”

“Sure, sure.” Shouyou pokes his tongue out. “Sure, To—”

Kageyama stuffs a roll of cheese bread in his mouth. “Shut up, moron,” he says. His smile is fond. Just for that, Shouyou does.

* * *

So, Tobio’s leaving this afternoon, but it’s actually alright. Shouyou’ll be going back to Japan soon, probably. And in the meantime, thirty thousand kilometers is nothing on them, anyway. It’s nothing at all.

They’re standing at the beginning of one of the trails near Shouyou’s apartment, and they’re warming up to run until the turn. It's Shouyou's idea: one last race before Tobio leaves. Like their high school years. Like their teenage years. Like always, maybe.

Above them, the surrounding trees' sparse leafage shatters the pale sky. The sun’s still rising. The clouds are gold-red-pink. Loser buys breakfast.

“I’m gonna win,” Shouyou assures. He means it.

Tobio does not yield. He's Kageyama Tobio. He never does. “We’ll see.”

“I will!”

“Okay.”

Shouyou frowns. “Okay!” He sets one foot behind him. “Ready?”

Tobio nods. “Three, two—”

“ _One!”_ they shout in unison, and then they’re sending up dust behind them as their sneakers scritch against the sandy trail.

“ _Hey,_ ” Tobio says from beside Shouyou, between breaths. “Hey.”

“We’re _racing,_ Yamayama, why are you—”

“Are you _sure_ you’re gonna win this one?”

Shouyou’s looking straight ahead. He can’t see Tobio’s face, but he can hear the smirk in his voice.

“ _Duh_ , Bakageyama,” Shouyou pants. “Gee, why are you being so _cocky_ toda—”

“Are you sure about that?” Tobio repeats. “ _Shouyou-chan?”_

And Shouyou— _goddamnit, Tobio, what the actual hell_ —splutters, stumbles, trips. He’s burning, again. Tobio is far, far ahead.

“Unfair, Tobio!”

The bastard makes it all the way to the end before he jogs back. Tobio’s grinning. Tobio’s laughing.

“I win this one,” Tobio says. He holds a hand out.

“You do not!” Shouyou takes his hand but doesn’t pull himself up. “That was cheating.”

“It was n— _hey!_ ”

Shouyou pulls Tobio down to the ground, and Tobio rolls his eyes but still laughs. Shouyou wants to spin it into a record. Play it on loop for the rest of his life. He settles with leaning up to kiss him.

Tobio’s eyes are blue-blue-blue under the green-white-blue heavens. He’s soft where his lips leave Shouyou’s. He’s warm where his cheeks tinge watercolor blush. He’s Kageyama Tobio; he's Hinata Shouyou’s forever and always. For the rest of Shouyou’s life, if he’s lucky. For the rest of both their lives, if he’s even more so.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm so happy this is done! i hope you liked it, awake!!! and everyone else, too! not gonna lie, the last two sections were highly self-indulgent and i'm really not sure what they add to the plot haha. just enjoy the kagehina sap. i wrote all this in a seven-hour fever dream from 8pm-3am and have been tweaking it ever since. gn friends <3 (comments are vv appreciateddd heh)
> 
> oh but one more thing. i'm on tumblr at [cementcinema](https://cementcinema.tumblr.com/) if you wanna chat! :>


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